Dina Mendonça (Ph.D. University of South Carolina, USA 2003) researches on Philosophy of Emotions and Philosophy of Education with a special concentration in Philosophy for Children. Her research focuses on developing a Situated Approach to Emotions, which takes emotions as dynamic and active situational occurrences (Mendonça 2012). This pragmatist research of Deweyan inspiration aims at elaborating a critical interpretation of philosophical reflections on emotions clarifying different problems and advantages of different methodological and philosophical approaches as well as identifying the key issues emotions theories (Paradox of Fiction, shared emotions, etc.) and further complexities of the emotional landscape (variability of valence of emotions, meta-emotional processes, etc.). In addition, she teaches Didatics of Philosophy concentrating on the role of writing for the education and improvement of thinking skills, and also creates original material for the application of philosophy to all schooling stages, and as an aid for creative processes.
